Author's Notes - Hi! Here's the promised Christmas chapter, although I was forced to cut it in half, so you can read the rest of it the next time I post. I'm afraid Severus' bubble is about to be popped as he fears his gifts are overshadowed by another. Before that, though, he has to endure pure torture in the guise of lunch. I'm sorry; I couldn't resist. Thanks to everyone who is reading and enjoying this story, and thanks to A Very Small Prophet and FleurSuoh who took the time to review. Spring break has arrived deep in the heart of Texas, so I will be entertaining my children or they will die of boredom. So, fair warning, I may not be able to update twice in the upcoming week. Hope you enjoy!
As most of the students departed for home, Severus expected to find Rose moping around the Entrance Hall. Instead, she was gleefully making snow angels outside. Wordlessly, he enchanted one of the indentations to rise upwards; it flapped gracefully like a swan until it was directly over the child's head. Then, the magic holding the shape together burst, showering her with fine, powdery snow.
She jumped up, laughing with delight. "That was brilliant, Professor! Can you teach me how to do that sometime?"
"So long as I have your word that you won't use it against me, I don't see why not. It can be a very useful charm to know during a snowball fight."
Rose enthusiastically agreed. "Yeah, you'd definitely have to be a Slytherin to think something that beautiful could be used as a weapon against you."
"Indeed."
He tried to puzzle out if she had intended the comment as a compliment or an insult before simply taking it as a statement of fact. Hermione Granger and Ronald Weasley soon joined Rose outside, and Snape left with the reminder that Rose was to accompany him to Hogsmeade the next morning.
He had almost reached the sanctuary of his quarters when Dumbledore called out behind him. The great wizard that day wore navy robes bedecked with glittery, silver stars, and Snape wondered what outlandish outfit the man was saving for Christmas day. He half-expected Albus to show up in the Great Hall wearing scarlet robes adorned with live holly.
"Severus, I was hoping you could join me in my office."
"Of course, Headmaster."
His heart hammered in his chest, and he forgot all about the wizard's state of dress. He would have to inform Dumbledore of his guardianship at some point. Perhaps now, when the man was awash in the spirit of Christmas, would be the perfect time.
The Headmaster's office was, as always, as eclectic as he. After politely refusing green and red Muggle ribbon candy, Severus idly perused the odd collection of magical paraphernalia while his host ordered tea. His curiosity peaked when he saw that the cabinet which housed Albus' ornate, antique pensieve was open.
"Troubling thoughts?" he mused aloud, nodding to the pensieve.
"More troubling by the day, I'm afraid. I was reviewing some of my memories of the time when Sirius Black was a student here. I had hoped to find some indication as to how he breached Hogwarts defenses."
Under normal circumstances, he might have suggested putting a few drops of Veritaserum in Lupin's drink to discover if the wolf knew how Black had gained access. Unfortunately, now that Lupin was privy to some of Rose's secrets, the option was out of the question.
"A secret entrance?"
"I have considered such. However, that would not account for his ability to get past the dementors."
Abruptly, Dumbledore closed the cabinet. "I called you into my office because there are more pressing matters to discuss than Sirius Black. The charm I placed on Rose as an infant has failed. I do not know how long ago this occurred. I spoke to Miss Potter in the Great Hall at breakfast this morning, and her aura no longer bore the mark of the blood protection her aunt sealed by taking her in.
Severus nearly choked on his tea, but Albus took his reaction as nothing more than surprise and dismay.
"Have you spoken to the woman?"
The imposing wizard grew troubled, his mouth drawn into a frown. Once again, he appeared old and tired. "I immediately went to Petunia's home. I'm afraid she was quite frightened of me. She refused to open the door, explaining that wizards were no longer welcome in her home."
"Could you not have forced your way in?" he asked with a hint of disdain.
Petunia had been smart and he had been exceedingly lucky. If Dumbledore was determined to discover what had happened, then all he would have to do is meet Petunia's gaze. Everything Severus had worked for would be exposed in a way guaranteed to antagonize the Headmaster.
Albus answered with an air of long suffering patience. "It is not my intent to frighten her, Severus, and I'm afraid the damage is already done. It is not a spell that can be recast. For whatever reason, Petunia Dursley no longer considers Privet Drive to be Rose's home. That is most regretful."
"What will you do with the girl come summer? A Muggle orphanage seems rather harsh under the circumstances."
It was clear that the Headmaster had some ideas, but they were not ideas he was willing to share.
"Thankfully, we need not worry about that for a few months. Although, I do not believe an orphanage would be the best place for Rose. The implications of such are somewhat troubling."
He didn't have to ask what the Headmaster meant. Tom Riddle had grown up in a Muggle orphanage, had, in fact, spent the summers there during his tenure at Hogwarts. It was bad enough that Rose was a parseltongue and shared a wand core with the Dark Lord. To send her to an orphanage would shadow Voldemort's childhood a bit too much.
There were still some in the wizarding community who believed that Rose could very well grow up to be the next Dark Lord. Those people were sadly misinformed, but it would be prudent not to give any of them another excuse to scrutinize the child. While few were left who knew of Voldemort's past, there were enough to cause trouble.
Luckily for everyone involved, Rose Potter had a home. Spinner's End was in desperate need of a facelift, but it was now her home nonetheless. This was not the time, however, to inform his mentor that he had taken matters into his own hands and caused the charm to fail. He had seen the great wizard angry, and didn't want to experience such cold, icy rage again. It would be much better to wait for a more opportune time, a time when Albus could more readily accept the advantages of the situation.
"More than troubling," Severus agreed, making a show of brushing a piece of lint off his robes. "However, I'm sure you'll come to an equitable solution long before the end of school."
The older wizard chuckled, his eye sparkling with amusement and pride. "My dear boy, if everyone had such faith in my abilities, my life would only be half as troublesome. Rest assured that I will inform you of my decision before anyone else. I know how much her safety concerns you."
With that, Albus changed the topic, asking Severus if he had any Christmas plans, although the Potions Master had never once during his tenure spent Christmas outside Hogwarts. He did learn that only six students and eight members of staff had chosen to remain at the castle. Besides the three Gryffindors, there were two first years, both from Ravenclaw, and Andrian Pucey, a fifth year from his own House.
Mr. Pucey had always been a troublemaker, and Snape was sure he must have an ulterior motive for missing his family's annual winter ball. He privately vowed to check up on the teen later in the day.
"And, will you be spending all of the holiday at Hogwarts, Albus?"
"I'll be here for Christmas. However, the Wizengamot is meeting in special session tomorrow. Enough complaints have reached their ears about the presence of dementors here at Hogwarts that they have decided to rule on the legality of it."
This got Snape's attention; he still didn't think the dementors should be anywhere near the school.
"Any idea of which way the Court is leaning?"
Airily, Dumbledore brushed off the entire subject. "Lucius strongly believes that the dementors are a necessary evil. He and the Board of Governors will sway the Court their way, and I will not fight a battle I am guaranteed to lose."
"Lucius only believes the dementors are necessary to torment Rose. I am surprised he would put his spite ahead of his own son's welfare."
"It is young Mr. Malfoy's injuries that will lend credence to his testimony, Severus. They will be expecting him to argue for the dementors' banishment. When he doesn't, it will make his testimony doubly influential."
He was right, but Snape didn't have to like it. The presence of the dementors near the school was a tragedy waiting to happen. He wished Dumbledore for once would fight a losing battle. The old man constantly underestimated his own influence, preferring to work behind the scenes and only expose himself when he was sure to prevail. It was a very annoying trait in a Gryffindor.
Severus bid him a safe journey several minutes later. An hour after he had set out for them, he finally returned to his quarters. He spent much of the afternoon adding the necessary ingredients to the Wolfsbane Potion. Skipping dinner, he spent the rest of the evening wrapping the few presents he had bought for Rose as well as relaxing with a well-worn copy of The Complete Sherlock Holmes.
When he remembered, he sought out Mr. Pucey, who spun an elaborate tale about a recent ex-girlfriend who would be attending his parents' ball and his utmost desire to avoid her at all costs. The lie was much too elaborate. While he knew that teenaged boys could embroil themselves in drama almost as easily as teenaged girls, Adrian Pucey was too quick to share his tale. He also answered his professor's questions far too easily, but Snape couldn't find that he had done anything untoward, and temporarily allowed him to keep his secrets. If it proved necessary, he could easily pull the truth from his lackluster student.
He might have read the journal late into the night, but Minerva wished to arrive in Hogsmeade as the shops opened to avoid the afternoon crowds. He certainly couldn't fault her logic. He hated crowds and avoided the company of strangers whenever possible.
Hogsmeade was even more crowded than he could have imagined. Days before Christmas, it seemed all of wizarding Britain had chosen to do their last minute shopping in the tiny village. Gladrags was a nightmare, although Minerva took charge in her usual no nonsense way and had the child outfitted in proper wizarding attire within an hour of walking through the door. He smirked at Rose's new cloak; it was a deep, rich Slytherin green, although even Minerva had been forced to admit it was very becoming on her.
If Severus had thought the shopping trip would only entail a visit to Gladrags, he was soon disabused of that notion. Knowing it was the child's first visit to Hogsmeade, Minerva insisted on taking Rose to every major shop in the village. Observing his ward, the Potions Master was heartened to see that she took such great pleasure in purchasing small gifts for her friends. For Hermione, she bought a self-locking journal, and for Ron she purchased a smattering of bright fireworks from Zonko's.
"Those are to be used outside, Miss Potter."
As the clerk wrapped her items, she shot him a mischievous grin. "I promise Ron won't use them anywhere near your classroom, Professor."
He cast his eyes heavenward, as if asking for divine guidance. Even his usually stern colleague found herself smiling at his antics.
"Now, Severus, a few fireworks never hurt anyone. I imagine Mr. Weasley will use them on New Year's Eve."
"I suppose I should be thankful that the fireworks are for Ronald rather than Fred or George."
"Not to worry, Professor, I think they have their own supply!"
McGonagall looked a little green at that bit of news. The Potions Master was suddenly very grateful that the twins had been sorted into Gryffindor rather than Slytherin. Let Minerva deal with their rule breaking. So far, their pranks had been very benign, although unusually clever. He dreaded to think what they might have come up with had they lived under the influence of some of the older Slytherins.
Minerva soon dragged him to Honeydukes, although Rose needed no such inducement. Her friends and Housemates had obviously described the shop for she went straight to the cockroach clusters and blood pops, pointing at them excitedly.
"Can you believe it, Professor? Wizards eat some weird stuff. And, they call Muggles strange."
He had to agree, although he did explain that the blood pops were mainly consumed by vampires.
"Vampires can shop at Honeydukes?"
"Has Lupin not covered the subject in his class? Vampires who register with the Ministry may go where they please."
Her eyes grew huge, and he was poignantly reminded of a similar conversation he had had with Lily in this very shop.
"How does signing a piece of paper make them any less dangerous, Professor?"
"They do not sign the paper, Miss Potter. They bite it. Each vampire's bite is unique. Should a Muggle or wizard be killed in such a manner, the vampire incriminates himself. The aurors hunt the guilty and they are summarily killed."
"Wish they'd do that to Sirius Black," she mumbled, pretending to study a display of expanding bubblegum.
He was shocked at her thirst for vengeance, although considering how close Black had come to killing her, perhaps it was not so surprising.
"Do you truly wish that?"
For once, he was glad that the shop was crowded and noisy. No one paid them the slightest bit of attention.
"Yes," she answered vehemently, her voice colder than he had ever heard it before. "Do you know what Voldemort told Mum? That he would let her live if she would stand aside. He wanted me, Professor Snape, not her. But, she wouldn't listen. It's my fault she's dead, but it's Black's fault he found her in the first place."
The guilt hit him like a bludger. Years ago, he might have rejoiced at the thought of the Dark Lord sparing Lily and never once considered the cost. Yet, in front of him stood the child he had been so willing to sacrifice without a second's consideration. She was brave and decent and had suffered more than any child ought. Now, he couldn't imagine life without her.
"Lily's death was in no way your fault, Rose. Your mother loved you very much. She died protecting you, just like any mother would."
"Black still needs to be punished," she grumbled, looking pointedly at the floor.
He didn't press the issue. She had said punished, and he took it for a positive sign. Not that he wouldn't kill Black given the chance, but she was far too young to walk such a dark path.
"Would you care to look at some of the more palatable sweets in the shop, or shall we let Minerva make her purchases in peace? I believe she has enough sugar in her sack to rot an army of goblin's teeth."
"She told me it's a gift for Professor Dumbledore. And, I wouldn't mind finding some more of that chocolate Draco gave me. The flavor was different, but really good."
"Most likely that was your first time eating dark chocolate. It has more cocoa and less sugar and milk than regular chocolate. I quite like it myself."
"Do you?"
He could see her mind at work and had to mask his smile. So, she intended to give him a Christmas gift. It was a good thing that he already had several for her wrapped in his quarters.
"I do. In fact, I can show you the case where all the dark chocolate is kept. Most of it has no need for flashy charms like the chocolate frogs. It is the flavor which entices the truly discerning."
They sampled a few pieces before Rose decided that she preferred dark chocolate when it was combined with fruits, such as bits of dried cherry or tangy orange peel, or nuts, like hazelnut and almonds. His favorite was a chocolate so dark that it was bitter, plain so the richness of the cocoa took center stage.
When she unsubtly suggested that he help Professor McGonagall hold her ever growing sack of candy, he graciously took the hint and disappeared from her view long enough for her to purchase a modest box of chocolate. After a few minutes, she reappeared by his side with a package in hand, a pleased grin on her face.
Once Minerva's purchases had been made, they visited Scrivenshafts Quill shop, where Rose bought a jar of non-smearing ink along with an ever sharpening quill. Snape fought the urge to applaud; while she was gifted in potions, he often had to mark down her essays for illegibility. Severus discreetly paid for a special ink he had ordered with Minerva in mind. It wrote in red and gold plaid, a perfect gift for a Gryffindor. Although it was impractical for everyday use, the spry witch had a playful streak hidden under her stern exterior, and he knew she would appreciate it.
Rose remarked that she would like to purchase a large tin of biscuits for Hagrid. Severus took her to a small shop which sold gourmet treats while McGonagall visited Dervish and Banges. The foods store was almost empty, and he basked in the quiet while Rose vacillated between buying Hagrid a large tin of ginger snaps or a box of mincemeat pies. In the end she bought both.
"You wouldn't have an ulterior motive for your gift, would you, Miss Potter?"
His gentle teasing brought a blush of embarrassment to her cheeks.
"Well, the rock cakes he serves are somewhat hard to chew, Professor."
Smiling, Snape added a large Christmas pudding and an assortment of tea to her pile.
"It can be from both of us. I would hate for Fang to grow fat from eating our castoffs."
In extremely good spirits, they rejoined McGonagall, who stood waiting for them outside the Three Broomsticks.
"There's not room to stand inside, Severus. I think we'll have to take lunch at Madame Puddifoot's. I noticed the tea shop was practically deserted."
Was she having a joke at his expense? Of course Madame Puddifoot's was empty. Lovesick teenagers and groups of giggling, vapid girls were the only ones to patronize the eatery. Now that the students were gone for the holidays, he was surprised it was open for business. Scanning her face, he realized with a sick sense of dread that she was entirely serious.
"What about the Hog's Head?"
"Closed, Aberforth took off for the holidays without a word of explanation. I hope he isn't in trouble again."
Well, that ended all hopes of pursuing Dumbledore's mistaken use of the name Ariana, at least for the time being. Worse, the prospect of darkening the door of Madame Puddifoot's was suddenly very real.
"Minerva . . . ."
A smile tugged at the corners of her mouth. "Severus Snape, are you whinging? Don't tell me after all the things you've done that you are frightened to walk into a tea shop! I promise that you will survive the encounter with your reputation intact. We won't tell anyone that the dour Potions Master was seen eating in Madame Puddifoot's, will we Rose?"
"No, ma'am," she replied, obviously puzzled by his reaction.
With a heavy sigh of defeat, he allowed the insistent witch to pull him inside. It was as bad as he had feared; the décor was frilly and gauche; the chairs were barely big enough for him to sit upon; and the proprietor fawned over him excessively. Even Rose appeared a bit taken aback by the atmosphere, although Minerva staunchly ignored the trappings of the restaurant and quickly ordered them an assortment of sandwiches and cakes for lunch.
The food was actually quite good, but he was constantly glancing towards the windows to make sure no acquaintance passed by. Minerva took an inordinate amount of time to eat, and Madame Puddifoot herself kept refilling his tea to the point that every time she did, Rose coughed to cover her giggles. The minutes dragged as if he were under the Cruciatus Curse, but eventually they did leave.
Returning to the castle, they split up to take care of last minute wrapping. Rose later showed her friends the spell to make snow angels fly, and they spent most of the afternoon pelting each other with snow. Severus finished the Wolfsbane Potion and checked and rechecked that he had everything he needed to make Rose's Christmas the best she had ever had.
The next day, Christmas Eve, was fraught with anticipation, and he was tempted several times to take Rose aside and show her the papers that were guaranteed to give her the happy memory she needed for her patronus. With some difficulty, he refrained, telling her instead that he would have a special surprise for her on Christmas Day. He went to bed that night looking forward to Christmas in a way he never had before.
Dressed impeccably in stylish black and green robes, Severus presented himself in the Great Hall as dawn began to break. He used the house elves to send the hair ribbons, coin purse and mirror that Molly had suggested he buy to the foot of Rose's bed so she could have something to open from him when she woke. However, he had three very special presents hidden in his robes, and he couldn't wait until she came down to breakfast to give them to her.
Breakfast came and went, however, and she didn't appear. Only belatedly did he remember that breakfast on Christmas Day was served in the Common Rooms. Feeling only slightly foolish, he summoned the Sherlock Holmes novel he was currently reading and sat to wait patiently for her appearance.
Hours later, he heard the three Gryffindors noisily approach the Great Hall. The expression on Hermione's face instantly told him that she was troubled by something, but Rose and the Weasley boy were in high spirits. In fact, he couldn't remember seeing Rose so happy. Curious, he greeted them in the Entrance Hall.
"Look, Professor! I can do it now!" Exuberantly, Rose waved her wand, practically shouting with joy. "Expecto Patronum!"
As her doe patronus gamboled about the hall, she threw her arms around him in an exuberant hug. "Thank you! I never expected a gift like that!"
Flummoxed, he tried to puzzle out to which gift she was referring, hardly realizing the shape her patronus had taken. Unexpectedly, it was Ronald Weasley who clarified the situation for him.
"Yeah, Proffessor! Wouldn't think you had it in you, but I reckon a Firebolt's about the best present there is!"
He froze. Minerva had given the child a Firebolt? What had the witch been thinking? His stomach churned with jealousy. How was he supposed to compete with that? In an instant, his Christmas was ruined.